How Christ-Centered Yoga for Trauma Can Restore Your Body and Spirit

• August 28, 2025
• By Brian Lettieri

How Christ-Centered Yoga for Trauma Can Restore Your Body and Spirit

Some wounds are carried silently. They don’t bleed or bruise in ways the world can see, yet they cast a long shadow over our lives, influencing our thoughts, our relationships, and our very sense of self. This is the nature of trauma. 

It’s a weight that can feel both immense and invisible, leaving us disconnected from our bodies, isolated in our spirit, and wondering if wholeness is truly possible. In the midst of this struggle, we may long for a path to healing that honors every part of who we are – body, soul, and mind. 

What if that path involved rediscovering your body not as a source of pain, but as a sanctuary for healing? The first step is Him, but what if every step on that path could draw you closer yet to the God who promises to restore you completely? 

This is the invitation of Christ-centered yoga for trauma: a gentle, prayerful practice designed to mend the connection between body and spirit, creating space for God’s restorative work to unfold within you.

The Unspoken Weight of Trauma

To understand the path to healing, we must first acknowledge the landscape of the wound. Trauma is more than just a bad memory; it is a physiological response that becomes imprinted on the body. It’s the echo of a past event that keeps the nervous system on high alert, constantly scanning for danger even when none is present. 

This is the language of a body that is still holding onto the pain of the past. Simply trying to “think positive” or “get over it” often fails because it ignores the physical reality of the wound. Healing, therefore, must also be a physical journey. It requires practices that speak the body’s language and gently invite it back to a state of peace.

What Is Trauma-Informed Yoga?

Given the physical nature of trauma, it becomes clear why a body-based practice can be so powerful. But not all yoga is created equal, especially when it comes to healing. So, what is trauma-informed yoga? 

Unlike a fitness-focused class that might emphasize performance or achieving a perfect pose, trauma-informed yoga is built on a foundation of safety, choice, and compassion. It is a practice meticulously designed to be a healing experience.

The core principles of this approach include:

• A Focus on Internal Experience: The goal is not what a pose looks like on the outside, but what it feels like on the inside. This is yoga focusing on mind, body, and spirit, so you are encouraged to notice sensations without judgment, fostering a mindful and compassionate connection with your body.
• Safety and Predictability: The environment is intentionally calm and predictable. The instructor will tell you what to expect, eliminating surprises so your nervous system can relax its guard.
• Empowerment: Ultimately, trauma-informed yoga is about reclaiming your own power and agency. It provides a safe container for you to become the authority of your own body once again.

This approach transforms the yoga mat into a sacred space for listening to your body, honoring its wisdom, and gently guiding it toward a sense of security and wholeness.

The Body’s Memory: How Yoga for Trauma Creates a Path to Healing

To appreciate how yoga for healing trauma works, it helps to understand the body’s internal wiring. Our autonomic nervous system has two main branches: the sympathetic (“fight-or-flight”) and the parasympathetic (“rest-and-digest”). Trauma can cause the sympathetic nervous system to get stuck in the “on” position. 

This leaves us feeling anxious, hypervigilant, and exhausted. The gentle, mindful movements and, crucially, the deep, intentional breathing central to yoga for healing trauma can have a positive effect on the nervous system. Slow, diaphragmatic breathing is one of the most effective ways to activate the parasympathetic nervous system – our body’s braking system. 

As the body begins to feel safe, it can start to release the chronic tension it has been holding. The practice provides a unique opportunity to explore movement and sensation in a controlled way, slowly expanding your capacity to be present in your body without feeling overwhelmed. 

This process doesn’t erase the past, but it changes your relationship to it. It helps the body understand that the danger is over and that it is safe to finally come to rest.

The Spiritual Aspect of Yoga for Healing Trauma

This physical process of finding safety in the body opens the door for the most profound healing of all – the healing of the spirit. Many of us have heard the phrase, “time heals all wounds.” But for the deepest hurts, we often find this isn’t true. Time doesn’t heal wounds. God does.

The prophet Jeremiah spoke to a people who felt their wounds were beyond repair. Their nation was broken, and their spirit was crushed. In the midst of this despair, God gave them a promise, one so important He commanded the prophet, “Write this down.”

This is what the Lord says:

“Your wound is incurable, your injury beyond healing.

There is no one to plead your cause, no remedy for your sore, no healing for you.

‘But I will restore you to health and heal your wounds,’ declares the Lord.”

Jeremiah 30: 12-13, 17

God acknowledges the depth of their pain – incurable, beyond healing. He doesn’t dismiss it. But then He makes a powerful declaration: “But I will restore you.” God is not just promising to patch up their wounds; He is promising to make them rise. This is the promise that is extended to you. Even when a wound feels incurable, God is the God of restoration. He keeps His promises.

Christ-centered yoga for trauma becomes a physical expression of this truth. Each intentional Christ-centered breath can be an inhale of His grace and an exhale of your pain. Each gentle movement can be an act of trusting that He is holding you. It is a practice of surrendering your incurable wounds to the only One who can not only heal them but make you ascend from them.

Discover Holy Yoga’s Trauma-Sensitive Program

Embracing this journey of healing is a courageous step, and you do not have to walk it alone. To provide a dedicated space for this sacred work, we offer our Trauma-Sensitive Program.

We often hear students say they started the program to help others and then discover it was meant for them. This 60-hour, on-demand program provides education for understanding the effects that trauma has on the body and how the body can hold on to traumatic memories in very tangible ways. 

You will explore yoga postures and techniques that help facilitate healing, learning how to guide yourself and others through the journey of reconnecting to the body in a safe and Christ-honoring way. 

Crucially, you will also study how Scripture addresses trauma and the ways in which God’s love and grace provide everything needed to safely explore the parts of the body that have felt stunted by traumatic experiences. 

This training equips you to walk others – and yourself – through physiological recovery from traumatic memories, and it qualifies for 60 continuing education hours with Holy Yoga and Yoga Alliance.

Your Path to Restoration Starts Here

Taking the next step on your healing journey is a deeply personal choice. At Holy Yoga, we are here to support you with resources that meet you where you are, all centered on the restorative power of Christ.

For flexible and immediate access to a wealth of resources, consider our premier subscription service HYTV+. Receive instant access to on-demand trainings, studies, workshops, and the entire HYTV streaming library. 

For those looking to deepen their practice and teaching through structured, on-demand programs, we offer:

• 100-Hour On-Demand Training: Perfect for existing yoga instructors, this training invites you into a unique experience steeped in Bible study and community. You’ll explore how to integrate yoga concepts with your faith alongside others on the same journey.
• 200-Hour On-Demand Training: Open to all levels, from beginners to experienced yogis, this comprehensive program provides expert yoga instruction alongside Christ-centered spiritual development.
• Somatics Live Training: Deepen your understanding of the mind-body connection with this powerful integration of yoga, somatic awareness, and spiritual insight. You will learn how emotions and trauma manifest in the body and use movement to release tension and regulate the nervous system, all while exploring the profound connection to Scripture and your relationship with Christ.

Whatever your next step may be, know that you are not alone on this journey toward wholeness. God is the God of restoration, and He is with you always.